FC Barcelona in KHL?

Spain and icehockey... Interesting binomial....I do not remember the teams of the USSR and Russia played with the Spanish.It seems, never. There' isn’t an Igor Zaharkin and a Vyacheslav Bykov, trying to revive icehockey from the ashes like in Poland.We only know that often IIHF Congresses take place in Barcelona,just because it’s great to spend summer in some amazing places far from ice and cold.

But, covering the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, I was surprised to learn that there is really hockey.Searching the web, I discovered Spain national team played in the IHWC Division II and last April finished in the last place in Group A with five defeats - Croatia (2:6), Belgium (3:6), Iceland (3:6), Australia (1:4) and Serbia (3:4) – but a couple of years ago the “Red Furies” were promoted, for just a season, in Division I, an historical markfor a country occupying the 30th place in the ranking of the IIHF.Spain is member of International Federation from 10 March 1923, when the Soviet Union did not even know about the Canadian hockey.According to the official survey, there are 854 players in the country  (236 men, 530 juniors, 88 women) and 18 indoor ice rinks.The president of the national Federation Maria Teresa Samaranch is the daughter of former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch (who when child was a roller hockey player).

One of the right-hand man of the IIHF president Rene Fasel, member of the Board of the International Federation is Spanish Frank Gonzalez, a strong representative in the hockey authorities there.

In Barcelona I met Evgeny Semeryak a former Dinamo Riga player, who played for Batic club for ten years and won the silver medal in USSR championship in 1988.That season was the best in his career.

Semeryak, 52, lives in Barcelona for almost 20 years and said it is his home: "The country is great, the atmosphere - perfect.The sea, a beautiful city, helpful people.What else is needed for a normal life?My friend Oleg Znarok often come here for a vacation. After my retirement from Dinamo I played hockey here, (in 1994 when Semeryak signed for Barcelona coach Ramon Munitiz said: “I think Semeryak is currently the best foreign player in Spain”) and I coached Barcelona in 1996-97 season when we won League and Copa del Rey (national cup).But there were times when even after a successful season you did not find a common language and had to leave ... "

Still today in some sites Semeryak is reported as head coach of Barcelona, even if current coach is long-time club player, Ukranian Danylo Didkovsky

 Semeryak former coach at Dinamo Vladimir Jurzinov Sr., does not know anything about his former pupil career

“I know that Evgeny was playing there and working, but I have not heard about him and his work.Could the Spain gets a team in the KHL?  Well, they are really good  in team sports.Judging by their temperament, anything can happen. But I never heardhockey is booming in the country.There are fans, interest and sponsors with money? So there will be a jump.So I do not rule out the possibility that we will see FC Barcelona in the KHL.”

So previously Spain has to invest in hockey.The national championship, called Liga Nacional Top Six, besides Barcelona, aligns clubs from the cities of San Sebastian and Vitoria – current champion – the small villages of Puigcerda and Jaca in the Pyrenees and the Madrid suburb of Majadahonda. It’s clear that Barcelona is the biggest brand from the largest city.Five-time champion of Spain (1987, 1988, 1997, 2002, 2009), it’s the only team that brings any profit because it uses its rink, the 1256 spectators Palau de Gel, inside the Camp Nou complex, for different purposes, including public skating.It is popular mainly when the temperature in the shade surpasses 30 degrees.

But  the most important thing: the hockey club is part of the FC Barcelona family that includes besides football and icehockey, basketball, handball, volley, roller hockey, baseball etc. The annual income is around half a billion euros.In order to join the KHL, it’s required a budget total of 12 million euros per year.A lot of money could get in from the marketing because club stores "Barcelona" are placed everywhere - in the subway and on the beaches, on the main street of La Rambla and airports ...

Also the fans shouldn’t be a problem.In Barcelona there is a huge Russian community, and in spring and autumn comes a lot of tourists.Just one thing seems to lack: the enthusiast who wants to raise in Spain icehockey.

So, analizying money and fan interest, Barcelona should have chances to compete in KHL, but will the League be ready to move his "circus" from Vladivostok to Barcelona? We asked an opinion to KHL Director of the organization and holding of sports events Dmitri Kurbatov and surprisingly he didn’t laugh: “Why do you ask about Barcelona ? I think they are one of our top-ranking positions.- In fact, we already had preliminary talks with the club. Serious!? When? A couple of years ago. When we approached Milan, we did the same with Barcelona”

But do you know that there is also a hockey club?" We didn’t know, Now a little bit more but not specifically”

- How important is it to have a KHL team in the major cities of Europe? Milan, Barcelona, London, Paris, Berlin ...

"Of course it's important. Our clubs want to see a worthy opponent. We do not need weak teams from good cities. But in terms of promotion and development of the league, the KHL brand promotion - of course, we want to be present in the major centers of Europe. This is an obvious thing that does not even need to be explained."

- And technically Barcelona may join the League?

"We personally oversees strategic issues with the KHL president Alexander Medvedev, but I will remind you that we have a clear written procedure to be a member of the league. If the club wants to join the KHL, it must submit an application. After that, we check its infrastructure, consistency in financial and sporting terms. And then the question is submitted to the Board. that evaluate all the aspects. As for the club, the support of local authorities and sponsors, the arena etc. That's it."

- Should be possible quantify in numbers?

-"Of course. Arena has to have no less than 5500 spectators, we define the total budget in the order of 12 million euros for the first season.This is at least the basis of a lower salary cap.And keep in mind flights, equipment, marketing ..."

Will Barcelona fulfill these requirements?

"For me it’s clear that Spain is not a hockey region.But I do not want to say categorically no.Let's all do the steps.The first of them: wait for a request from Barcelona"

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